Young and Beautiful
by pottervisions
Summary: Hermione Granger has discovered Draco Malfoy's secret. What does she do? Does she alert the wizarding world or does she assist him so that he can keep his own life?
1. Everything Has Changed

**Young and Beautiful**

**Chapter One: Everything Has Changed**

Hermione was glad to have prefect duty, that night. She had had enough of everything and they weren't even half way through the school year. Harry was obsessing over some potions book and Ron's attention was always taken by Lavender. Hermione felt repulsed at the thought of even uttering her name. There was a time where the trio were inseparable but she hadn't felt this alone since the beginning of first year and she just hoped that it wouldn't become a regular occurrence. Things were changing for the worst in the wizarding world and everyone had to stick together now more than ever.

Hogwarts was even slowly becoming a place of darkness instead of light in these struggling times. Harry had come to the conclusion that Draco Malfoy was now a Death Eater. Hermione often took on board everything Harry had to say due to the wisdom he had built since first year but she had to refuse to believe this accusation. She knew Malfoy was a bad person but she didn't believe that he was evil, even though his father undoubtedly was.

Now that her mind had wandered on to Malfoy, Hermione began to reflect on his behaviour since the year had started. He hadn't once sneered, attempted to attack or told on anyone in Gryffindor, especially the trio. He seemed so distant and uninterested in everyone, even Crabbe and Goyle. However, Hermione had noticed how he had matured in the matter of one year. He had gotten his hair cut and he had gotten taller and muscular. A lot more muscular. Hermione wiped the image of Malfoy out of her head before she got carried away with herself.

She headed up the stairs towards the seventh floor where she would finish off her prefect duty when she saw a figure turning the corner and heading down the corridor of the floor. Hermione rushed up the stairs to tell the mystery figure that they were out after curfew. No matter how fast she was going, the figure was faster. Hermione made it to the left corner where she couldn't even find a trace of whoever had been there. She turned and looked at the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet then she looked opposite it. The doors to the Room of Requirement were there. She didn't need anything…did she? Hermione couldn't think so she opened the door curiously.

The room was much different from what it had been when she was in it the previous year with Dumbledore's Army. There were piles and piles of objects that looked as though they had simply been abandoned in the room. Was she looking for something and it was in this room? Hermione didn't know. She walked slowly and cautiously, her hand resting on her wand in her robes. She suddenly stopped. She could see someone standing opposite her through the heaps of items in front of her. Usually, Hermione would have been quick to confront the person but this person had platinum blonde hair and she knew better.

Hermione got in a secure position so she wouldn't get caught by Malfoy and watched what he was doing. He was muttering some kind of spell while standing in front of a large black cabinet, much like the one the trio saw him look at in Knockturn Alley.

Malfoy stood and walked around the cabinet for a long time. Hermione didn't know how long she had been in there but his muttering soon stopped and she heard a creek. She looked and seen that he was opening up the cabinet. He looked down at what was in it for only a few minutes before shutting it and leaving hastily.

Once the doors to the Room of Requirement shut, Hermione dashed to the cabinet and with one last look to make sure she was alone, she opened the cabinet doors and was met with a small dead bird. She was horrified. What was this thing and why was Draco Malfoy using it? Why did he need it? Hermione didn't know but she had a feeling that Harry's suspicion was right.

She just didn't like to think so.

**A/N: Quite rubbish and basic, I know but I do have a plan to make it better and it is only the first chapter so fingers crossed! It will get to the point where it becomes out of character from the actual Harry Potter storyline so please bear with me if you don't like fanfics which strictly go within the books! Anyway I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Problem

**Young and Beautiful**

**Chapter 2: Problem**

Draco hadn't been back to the Room of Requirement in a week. His determination was slipping with the fear of not being able to fulfil the Dark Lord's wishes and losing his life as a result. He didn't know how to fix the vanishing cabinet, he sent an innocent bird to its death trying to fix it. What if his Aunt Bellatrix climbed through the one at Borgin and Burkes and died? What would the consequences to that be? Draco couldn't bear the thought of it.

He stared down at his breakfast and couldn't even eat it, sick with fear. Blaise was watching him intently. He and Blaise never really spoke but he knew what Draco had to do and he felt like not only was Snape keeping an eye on him, so was Blaise.

Before going to Transfiguration, Draco decided to make a quick visit to the cabinet just to see if his work had had a delayed effect. He hoped it had.

He left the table without saying a word to anyone. No one really noticed anymore, anyway. Even Pansy had gotten fed up making sure he was okay. Everyone who had parents in the same circle as Lucius Malfoy knew that Draco had been given some form of mission so they only assumed that he was working on that, which he was but it just didn't keep them amused anymore. It didn't even bring the excitement it used to to Draco.

As Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast with Harry (who actually managed to part with his textbook for a while) Draco Malfoy was just leaving. Hermione saw Harry watching him disappear towards the staircases.

"I'm telling you, Malfoy is up to something," Harry said.

Hermione had decided to keep the other night to herself. She didn't even know exactly what she had seen so she couldn't even begin to admit defeat to Harry without knowing what it was Malfoy was doing. All she did assume was that he was heading back up to the Room of Requirement and she so desperately wanted to follow him and try to work out what he was doing with an old cabinet.

Hermione shook her head, "I'm still not convinced."

"Hermione, we saw him with Bellatrix, Fenir and everyone else in Borgin and Burkes," Harry hit back. "How can you honestly say it wasn't dodgy?"

"I'm not saying it wasn't dodgy, I'm just saying it doesn't necessarily prove anything."

They both sat down, much to Hermione's dismay, next to Ron and Lavender. They literally could not keep their hands off of each other and it was getting to the point where Hermione had to stop herself from saying something. She didn't want to risk her friendship with Ron although she was sure the only thing Ron and Lavender argued about was his friendship with Ron and she couldn't deny it, he barely spent time with her anymore never mind speak to her.

It hurt.

Transfiguration came far too soon for Draco. He was late already and just leaving the seventh floor. He was in no rush, he no longer cared about being late. He only cared about his Vanishing Cabinet and trying to think of a discreet way to carry out the other part of his mission.

He walked in to the class to the unamused face of Professor McGonagall.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Malfoy," she said sternly.

Draco didn't even reply. He just took his seat next to Goyle and sat back. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at his attitude.

"Do you have your homework there, Malfoy?"

"No, Professor," he said rather bored already.

McGonagall didn't say anything and went back to teaching.

At the end of the lesson, Professor McGonagall held Draco back, which was no surprise to him but was a surprise that Hermione Granger was asked to stay as well. She looked just as shocked as he did at the command. Granger finally getting into trouble? Draco couldn't think of anything better to cheer him up and he was getting front row seats.

Hermione was panicking.

Did she hand in the wrong homework? Did she not do enough? Did she accidentally commit plagiarism?

She had to know.

"Is everything alright, Professor?" Hermione hoped her question didn't sound as panicked as she thought. "Is there something wrong with my paper?"

She could sense Malfoy smirking at her from behind.

"No Granger, I was actually going to ask a favour of you," McGonagall smiled.

"Favour?"

Relieved, Hermione turned and seen Malfoy's smirk slapped right off him.

"Mr. Malfoy, this is now the second assignment that you have failed to hand in and I haven't even received the first one you missed," McGonagall paused, as if she was bracing herself. "You are an intelligent young man and I know that you can do this so if you are struggling, I'm sure Miss Granger here won't mind helping you out to ensure you hand in your missing assignments."

There was a very, very long pause.

Malfoy had now moved to the front of the classroom so that he was level with Hermione.

"I can do it without her."

Thank Merlin, thought Hermione. However, Professor McGonagall shook her head.

"You clearly cannot if you aren't handing in your assignments and I am lead to believe that you have prefect duty tonight, am I right?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Well I can have it taken care of and you and Miss Granger can come here and have your homework completed." Professor McGonagall then moved her attention to Hermione. "Can I trust you to collect the correct books from the library to help Mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione nodded, lost for words. She did not want to do this.

"Professor," Malfoy started. "I can't do tonight but I will do the assignments over the weekend. I'll get Professor Snape to –"

"I don't think Professor Snape will be of much help Malfoy as he was the one that requested I got you extra help in order to complete all of your outstanding work so if you object, feel free to take it up with him but right now, you and Granger will be spending tonight working on your late homework."

Hermione looked at Malfoy who was looking at her with nothing but hatred in his eyes.

She was in for a long night.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope this is a bit better than the first chapter! Please let me know how you think it's going! I don't want this to be too predictable so hopefully you all enjoy it enough to keep reading!**


	3. Bang Bang

**Chapter 3: Bang Bang**

Draco had found a rack of seats in the Room of Hidden Things so he pulled one over and sat in front of the cabinet, hoping that somehow, it would fix itself.

He didn't know what to do with it anymore. He had tried everything Snape had told him as well as going through every book he could possibly find in the library on things as dark as this. Madam Pince was reluctant to let him into the restricted section but after getting Snape to authorise it, she unwillingly let him go in.

Draco sighed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. What else could he possibly do? He got up and kicked the chair away becoming angry at himself for being unable to try anymore. He was done for. Christmas was just around the corner and he was expected to have had this done long before then. He left the room and decided to focus on his plans to kill Dumbledore.

As he walked down the corridors towards the staircase, he thought about Transfiguration. He knew he shouldn't have went and now McGonagall wanted him to go work with Granger. As if he needed a mudbloods help. There was not a chance that he was going there and he smirked to himself, imagining the know-at-all sitting in the library all alone, waiting on him.

A part of him wanted to go see if he was there but if she seen him and he didn't go to her, McGonagall would have him as well as Snape who so idiotically put the idea forward. He made a mental note to ask him what the hell he was thinking.

"You're a bit far away from the library, Mr. Malfoy. I should hope that's where you're heading right now?"

Draco stopped in his tracks as Professor McGonagall's voice filled the corridor. He cursed at himself realising how stupid it was to even leave the Room of Hidden Things knowing he might get caught on the same floor as the Gryffindor Tower.

He had no choice now or Snape would definitely find out.

"I was, Professor," he replied coldly.

"I'll walk you down then," she replied, a small triumphant smile on her face.

McGonagall smiled the full way to the library and it just made Draco angrier. Did she really give that much of a shit about her assignments? He was a Slytherin. She really shouldn't care because Draco sure as hell didn't.

Hermione looked up from her Potions homework, scanning the library for any sign of Draco Malfoy but not to her surprise, he still hadn't shown up. It didn't bother her though, she was going to be in the library that night studying either way but she did pick up the books she used for her Transfiguration assignments, just in case Malfoy did decide to come.

"There you are Hermione," she heard Professor McGonagall say, "I was afraid we weren't going to find you there, you've chosen the quietest bit of the library!"

Hermione looked up to Malfoy's scowling face and McGonagall's smiling face. She assumed he had been caught wandering about and he truly did not have intentions to meet her that night.

"Sorry, Professor, I was just finishing off some homework."

"It's fine, dear," McGonagall then turned to Malfoy, "Now I trust that you will have these missing assignments done by tonight and I want them handed in to me on Monday morning, is that clear?"

Malfoy nodded and grudgingly sat down across from Hermione. McGonagall left, still smiling.

For the first time in her life, Hermione had no idea what to say. She had never been this close to Draco Malfoy without him taunting her or there being some form of rivalry going on.

"Well?" he snapped at her. "Are you just going to sit there and stare at me?"

Hermione decided against saying anything. She picked up the first two books she used for the assignments and dropped them in front of them. They hit the table with an almighty bang.

"Do you have the essay questions?" she asked him coldly.

"Do I look like I have the essay questions?" he held his arms up. He didn't have anything with him.

Hermione frowned and started flipping through her pieces of parchment. She found a spare piece and wrote down the first one and handed it to him. He stared at it for a while and then opened the first book and got to it.

Draco finished off the first assignment within 45 minutes using the books Granger gave him. He knew how to answer the question, he wasn't stupid it was just the books he needed to convert his words into actual essays. Before moving on to the next essay, he looked at the essay he had just completed with Granger's handwriting stating the question sitting neatly at the top of the parchment.

He sat it down and then saw Granger practically falling asleep as she studied, her eyes closing nearly every time she blinked.

"What's the other essay?"

His voice seemed to waken her up a little as she jumped and stared at him with wide eyes.

"You're finished?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm finished, Granger," he spat. "I am smarter than you."

"I don't need to be here, Malfoy," she hissed back. "I can easily take everything I have with me here and leave you alone and when you don't hand in two assignments on Monday it's you that will get slaughtered by not only McGonagall but Snape as well. I am being civil right now so put you're bloody prejudice side away and get a grip."

If she hadn't been right, Draco would of left the library and his stupid assignments behind right there and then but he knew Snape would be after him if he didn't do them and that was something he didn't want to have to deal with.

He wouldn't apologise to the mudblood though. That was just too below him and he assumed Granger knew that as she started to write down the next essay question after his moment of silence.

She started to pack up her pieces of parchment and books. She stood up.

"I take it you'll be fine to do this alone now? You didn't need my help with the first essay so I can only assume I'm no use to you now."

Draco didn't know what to say. Sitting studying with her had been the calmest he had been since school had started this year. If he was left alone, he would be tempted to go back to the vanishing cabinet.

"Malfoy? Do you need me to stay and help you or not?"

She sounded irritated.

"Yes," he replied, without even thinking.

**A/N: Not a massive cliff-hanger but I think it's quite exciting! I hope you are all enjoying the story, please let me know your thoughts!**


	4. Blame

**Chapter 4: Blame**

Hermione stayed with Malfoy in the library until he finished where he only asked her the simplest questions on the essays. She only assumed he was making them up because he actually did know it all but he had asked her to stay so he had to keep his reason why going.

He would occasionally pause and frown at his parchment but he never asked her anything at those points, as if he wanted to get it right himself. In a strange way, Hermione admired him for wanting to do it all by himself because that's what she liked to do too. Rarely did she go asking for help. She wanted to work the problems out alone and she always did.

"You can go now, Granger," Malfoy said as he put down his quill.

She stared at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Do I not even get a 'thank you'?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"And why would I thank a mudblood like you?" Malfoy retorted. "You were made to come here and I didn't even ask you anything that would help me."

"So why did you ask me to stay?"

This got Malfoy and she knew it. He didn't say anything and he just sat, gathering his parchment together.

"I felt sorry for you, mudblood," Malfoy spat, standing up. "If you left you'd be going to sit alone in Gryffindor Tower."

Before Hermione could reply, he was gone.

Draco sat his essays on his bed and then kicked the table beside it in anger. What was he playing at? Asking Hermione Granger, the mudblood to sit and stay with him to 'help' with his essays? Was he becoming ill? He didn't know and that made him angrier.

"Where were you tonight then?"

Draco turned and saw Blaise walking out of the bathroom.

"Out."

"Obviously," Blaise replied and then sat down on his own bed. "I'm asking where you were."

"I was in the library," Draco replied. He hated when Blaise tried to question him about his mission.

Luckily though, Blaise clearly wasn't in the mood to question Draco further and he just lay back in his bed. Draco got ready and did the same.

He lay, thinking about the night he just had with Granger. She was quiet when studying, not like she was in classes where she was constantly answering questions or quizzing teachers on their subjects. She did know what she was doing and what amazed Draco the most was that she hardly used any books that night to do her own homework. She truly was smart but she was nowhere close to him, a pureblood.

Still, he didn't need her company. He didn't need anyone.

Did he?

Hermione woke that Saturday morning and went straight into the shower.

Her curls straightened with the water and she thought about the night before with Malfoy.

She knew he was barely talking to Crabbe and Goyle but the fact he even managed to have some type of conversation with her that night truly shocked her. Why, if he wasn't even talking to his closest friends, would he even waste his breathe on her? It didn't make any sense. Neither did him asking her to stay while he did his essays. That one truly confused her. Was he just adapting to having company around him again? Was she just a test?

Hermione didn't know but it worried her that she might have something to do with whatever he was doing in the Room of Requirement.

Was he secretly observing her while she was studying last night to see if she fitted some form of criteria for the cabinet? What if he truly was a Death Eater like Harry said? What if he needed muggleborns for the cabinet?

As she stepped out the shower, Hermione got herself ready and decided she was getting carried away with herself and being ridiculous.

But she had made herself curious. She was going to go back to the Room of Requirement when Malfoy was in it and work out what he was doing.

It was just how she got in there when he would be in there that would cause a problem.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: really bad and short chapter I am so sorry! I just don't want to put so much of the story in to the one chapter so I'm trying to take it slow but if this is too slow, please let me know!**

**Abbey x**


	5. Do I Wanna Know?

**Chapter 5: Do I Wanna Know?**

After some convincing, Hermione and Harry managed to get Ron away from Lavender in order for the three of them to spend some time together in Hogsmeade. The snow had started on the Friday morning and was getting thicker every day. The Golden Trio made their way through the bustling crowds of Hogwarts students going in and out of all of the little shops.

"Can we go to Honeydukes?" Ron asked, thinking of his stomach.

Hermione looked over distastefully.

"Can't we go after we've been to Scrivenshafts?" She asked, thinking of the amount of quill's she was going through. "I really need a new set, Ron."

He mumbled something and they walked by Honeydukes and on to get Hermione some more quills. When they walked out of the small shop, they all (well, Harry and Hermione) agreed to go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink and leave Honeydukes until last. They took a seat quite near the back and got butterbeer for themselves.

Almost the second their drinks arrived, so did a drunk Professor Slughorn. Ron's face went red as he called him the wrong name, again but Hermione and Harry were left with high spirits after being invited to his Christmas party.

"Sorry, Ron," Harry said. "I would take you as my date but I don't want people getting the wrong idea…"

Ron didn't even laugh.

"It's fine, I have Lav anyway," he shrugged and drank his butterbeer.

Hermione nervously took a sip of hers, it was worrying her how dependant Ron was becoming on Lavender. Not because she utterly despised the girl but because she cared about Ron and she didn't want her friendship to be broken up.

"Ron, you can co-"

"'Mione you have a bit..." Ron said and pointed to his upper lip.

Hermione gasped and wiped the top of her lip with her jumper sleeve. As she went to turn back to face the boys, something caught her eye.

A wisp of blonde hair was heading towards the toilets. It was Malfoy. She watched as he closed the door and then turned back to Harry and Ron. Harry had saw him too.

"I think it's time we get going then," Hermione said abruptly and stood up.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and then got up as well, knowing not to argue with Hermione at that point in time. They knew her tone of voice meant not to question her.

The trio walked along the long path to get back to Hogwarts. Ron was walking while munching on his sweets from Honeydukes and Hermione, who felt a little tipsy, had her arms around both boys to keep her walking in a straight line.

Hermione was immediately snapped out of her little phase with the sound of a piercing scream. The three of them stopped in their paths as they saw Katie Bell being thrown into the air. Hermione couldn't move. None of them could.

Katie hit the ground with a thud and the next thing Hermione knew, Hagrid was there taking her up to the castle.

Harry looked at Hermione and she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Malfoy.

"Righ' you three, mon' with me," Hagrid said and handed a necklace over to Harry. "Don' touch the necklace. Jus' hol' the edge, got it?"

Harry nodded and they walked up in silence.

_It couldn't have been Malfoy_, Hermione thought. W_hat would he want with Katie Bell of all people?_

When they arrived at the castle, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape met them immediately and the trio and Katie's friend Leanne were taken away into a classroom.

"So can someone tell me what happened?" McGonagall asked, sternly but the anxiety in her voice didn't shy away.

"I didn't want her to take it," Leanne said. "But she was adamant. It was like all of a sudden she had changed. I warned her not to touch it…I don't know who gave it to her… but she said it was to be given to Dumbledore."

Leanne started bubbling and McGonagall and Snape shared a look.

"Okay, Leanne, you can go."

As Leanne left, Professor McGonagall turned to the trio.

"Why is it, when something happens that it is always you three?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably.

"She was cursed," Harry said.

"Yes, she was cursed." McGonagall said in reply but more to herself.

"It was Malfoy," Harry said.

"Harry!" Hermione cried.

"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," McGonagall said. "Do you have proof?"

Hermione looked at Snape who was burning a hole through Harry.

"I just know," he replied.

"You just know?" Snape said.

Harry nodded.

"I think it's best if you three go up to the common room,"McGonagall said.

Draco walked back in to the castle to constant news about Katie Bell.

_Stupid girl,_ he thought. _Why would she touch it_?

On his way in, Harry Potter and his two sidekicks walked out of a classroom. Potter stared him out as he walked by and he was sure he heard Granger hissing at him.

If he couldn't even get a Gyffindor to work properly under the Imperius curse, how was he going to kill Dumbledore?

Instead of heading to the Dungeons, he decided to go straight to the Room of Hidden Things. He waited a while though, so the trio wouldn't notice him. That would be the last thing he needed, for Potter to go after him.

As he made his way up the stairs, he wondered what Granger had said to Potter as they passed each other. Not that it mattered, anyway but he wanted to know. Was she defending him?

He got to the Room of Hidden Things and opened the doors and slid in quickly so no one would notice him. He headed his normal route to the cabinet when he heard a crash of what sounded like tins.

He whipped out his wand immediately.

"Who's there?" He called out.

There was silence. He looked behind him to make sure he hadn't accidentally knocked anything over. There was nothing there.

He then heard footsteps and turned back around to face the way he was going.

He was taken aback when he seen who was in front of him, with their wand facing him.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Granger asked him. "I know something is going on."

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><p><strong>AN: Kind of a cliff hanger, eep! And this is where it all starts, I'm so excited to continue writing this but I just need to fit it in with all my uni work so please keep reading and reviews are always welcome!**


	6. These Four Walls

**Chapter 6: These Four Walls**

If it had been anyone else, Draco would have hexed them already but the words in his head weren't making it to his mouth.

Granger was staring at him as if she was expecting him to lash out at her but he physically couldn't do anything. He couldn't even speak.

How did she know? It just wasn't possible. He had hid it so well and only Potter seemed to suspect something and he was almost certain that Granger was sticking up for him just minutes ago, so she didn't really believe the Chosen Prick... did she?

"What are you doing with the cabinet, Malfoy?"

He started to panic. She did know. She was smart enough to know what the cabinet was and why would he all of a sudden take interest in a cabinet? Just a hobby? No, he couldn't lie his way out of this one to Granger. She would have done her reading, she would know that vanishing cabinets were used in the last war for Voldemort. He couldn't hide anymore.

Before Draco knew it, he was falling apart in front of Granger. He felt his lip trembling but before he could stop himself, the tears were falling from his eyes.

Granger lowered her wand immediately.

"Malfoy..."

"He'll kill me."

"Who?" he heard her ask, but Draco knew she already knew who he was talking about.

Draco just didn't bother asking. He didn't know why he was doing this, in front of her of all people. She's a mudblood, he reminded himself but he had started and he couldn't stop.

"He wants me to kill Dumbledore."

He could tell Hermione didn't expect that.

"You did give that necklace to Katie Bell, didn't you?" she said and he could sense disappointment in her voice.

He shook his head.

"Madam Rosmerta gave her it under the imperious curse that I put her and Katie under...I didn't know what else to do," he cried.

Granger took a step towards him and lifted up his shirt on his left arm, revealing the Dark Mark. He didn't flinch at her touch, only looked for her expression at the horrid symbol of Death Eaters tattooed on his arm but she just stared at it.

Hermione didn't know why but she felt sorry for Malfoy at that point in time. She knew how Harry felt, having being Voldemort's target but actually being one of Voldemort's followers was different. Malfoy was utterly terrified and she could tell.

"Why are you so interested in the cabinet then?" she asked him, moving away from him.

"It's connected to one in Borgin and Burkes," Malfoy started. "I'm trying to make sure the connection is clean so that…"

He looked like he had said too much and now knew it. He didn't look as upset anymore. He raised his wand at her yet again.

"It's none of your business, mudblood," he spat. "Now leave."

"Or what?" Hermione half yelled back, getting angry that he was going back to his old ways after having a near breakdown in front of her. "Because if you wanted to hex me, you would have done it already."

She had caught him off guard with that comment and without hesitation, he sent a hex straight at her.

"_Protego_!" Hermione screamed. "You idiot! I honestly can't believe I had even thought about helping you and worse – I even felt sorry for you for a second there."

She went straight past him and left the Room of Requirement, leaving Draco Malfoy behind.

A few days had passed and Draco was still replaying the scene with Hermione Granger in his head. She was actually going to possibly help him kill Dumbledore? It was surely an act. It had to be.

Since their encounter, Granger hadn't even cast a glance his way and it was starting to bother him. How could she show so much interest one minute and then just completely ignore him the next? He was beginning to crave her attention but he no longer knew how to get it, knowing teasing her wouldn't help his situation.

He needed her help. He needed her brown curls and smile to help him with his mission… She was so smart. She was exactly what he needed.

He sat in Potions for his last period of the day, thinking of how to approach Granger about her help. He knew he had basically ruined his chances by treating her like she should be treated…she was a mudblood after all and a pureblood like him didn't want her help but he needed it. The way she acted with him in the Room of Hidden Things that day showed that despite everything he had put her through, she was still so kind and thoughtful. She cared.

He watched Granger listening closely to Slughorn and then scribbling down notes with a slight frown on her face as she did so. She cast a glance towards Potter who was too busy reading his own potions book, not even listening to a word Slughorn was saying. Draco seen how annoyed she was with Potter and had to stop himself from smiling.

He hated to admit it but she was in no doubt the smartest witch of their age. She was smarter than him and although he had grown to loathe her for it, Draco was beginning to sense a form of admiration towards her for being so bright, given her background.

As the class came to an end, Malfoy left the room not bothering to wait on his friends but Pansy was too quick and caught up with him immediately.

"Are you okay, Draco? You haven't been yourself lately."

Draco looked at Pansy like she was stupid. "That's really you just noticing?"

"I didn't mean that, obviously you've had things on your mind since the start of the school year but for the past few days you've been worse," she took a deep breath and then whispered. "Was it you that done that to Bell?"

"If you know what's best for you Pansy you would just drop it and leave me alone," he growled and then walked away from her.

The nerve. How dare she even talk to him about what he's been doing? Hadn't she listened to a thing her parents told her about him before they went back to Hogwarts? Anyone who was anyone in Slytherin house got told to stay out of his way this year and let him get on with things and she thinks she's an exception? Not in his eyes.

The only exception here was Granger and he was going to get her help.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed this! It was a lot more in Draco's perspective because I feel like this whole story is revolving around him and Hermione is just coming in to his life so I wanted to show his feelings about it all because I think Hermione's would be a little bit more boring because all she wanted to do was help but now Draco needs to think about what he does and how he does it and I found it more entertaining and scandalous for this chapter to be based around his thoughts!**

**So please review and let me know what you think!**


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